Why No Change Amid Cooling Inflation & Fed Dot Plot Projections Introduction The Federal Reserve’s June 2025 meeting ended with a collective pause, no rate hike or cut, even as inflation has cooled markedly from last year’s highs. Headline CPI has fallen to ~2.4% (core ~2.8%) as of June, a dramatic improvement from 2023’s 6%+ […]

Equity Markets Equities Rally Across the Board, Nasdaq Composite Up Almost 10% in May. Stocks posted strong performances across the board including the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, which both had their best months since November 2023. The Nasdaq Composite surged 9.7%, the S&P 500 increased 6.3%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 4.2%. Several […]

Alternative Asset Classes: An Introduction What are alternative asset classes? Beyond the three primary asset classes–stocks, bonds, and cash– many other types of investments can be used to diversify investment portfolios. The term “alternative assets” is highly flexible. It may include specific physical assets, such as natural resources or real estate, or methods of investing, […]

April 2025 Market Summary Domestic Stock Indices Mixed, Inflation Sets Record Low, Mid-Term Treasury Yields Fall Equities U.S. indices posted mixed results in April largely due to gains in the technology sector with tough quarters for some large-cap blue-chip companies. The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.88%, the S&P 500 slipped 0.68%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 3.08% due to significant losses […]

Private Equity What is private equity? Like stock shares, private equity represents an ownership interest in a company. However, unlike stocks, private equity investments are not listed or traded on a public market or exchange (though some firms that specialize in making private equity investments are publicly traded). Private equity firms are not necessarily required […]

Alternatives are the “It” Investment: What to know before you dive in. Alternative investments aren’t so “alternative” anymore. Once the rarefied domain of institutional investors and some sophisticated individuals, alts—from hedge funds to private credit to cryptocurrency—have increasingly pushed their way into the investment portfolios of wealthy people. They’re now hitting the mass market, too. […]

January 2025 Market Summary Equities Stocks Drive Higher, Gold Soars to New All-Time High, Treasury Yields Largely Unchanged Equities got off to a strong start in 2025 with positive performances in January. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 4.8%, the S&P 500 advanced 2.8% and the Nasdaq Composite added 1.7%. Large-cap Value had the best month among Russell 1000 and Russell 2000 equity styles, […]

December 2024 Market Summary: Stocks End 2024 on a Mixed Note, Fed Cuts Interest Rate, Bond Funds Rise as Yield Fall Equities Overview Equities posted mixed results in December to close out 2024. The price-weighted Dow Jones Industrial Average sank 5.1% as UnitedHealth Group (UNH), Sherwin-Williams (SHW), and Caterpillar (CAT) all posted double-digit declines in December. The market […]

Members of the Military: Estate Planning Whether you’re a veteran or just starting out in the military, planning and preparing your estate is of vital importance. Why is estate planning so critical? Because, at your death, you leave behind the people you love and all your worldly goods. Without proper planning, you have no say […]

The S&P 500 Just Crossed 6,000. What’s Next? The S&P 500 took over headlines on a Monday in mid-November when it closed above 6,000 points for the first time. From humble beginnings at just 16.66 points in January 1950, the widely-followed benchmark index has traveled far in the almost 75 years since, generating incredible wealth […]